UK's Cameron to urge Putin to focus on fight against Islamic State

BELEK, Turkey (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will urge Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to focus Russian air strikes in Syria on Islamic State militants.

"We have our differences with the Russians, not least because they've done so much to degrade the non-ISIL opposition to Assad, people who could be part of the future of Syria," Cameron told reporters on Sunday ahead of a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Turkey.

"The conversation I want to have with Vladimir Putin is to say, look, there is one thing we agree about, which is (that) we'd be safer in Russia, we'd be safer in Britain if we destroy ISIL. That's what we should be focusing on."

Cameron also said the attacks in Paris had made it "even more clear" that Islamic State militants must be defeated, whether in Iraq or Syria.

Britain is participating in air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq, but will not extend the mission to Syria unless the move is endorsed by lawmakers, something that has until now appeared unlikely.

"Others are taking action in Syria which we both support and enable, but we've got to keep on making the case that we will be safer in the UK, in France, right across Europe, if we destroy this death cult once and for all," he told reporters.